Late Decisions for Summer Opportunities
I’ve had quite a few issues with summer opportunities going well past their decision deadlines. I feel this is very disrespectful to musicians who adhere to strict deadlines, pay application fees, and sometimes pass up great opportunities waiting for late decisions from better opportunities. How much is it acceptable to hound administrators for updates when none are given for days or weeks after decisions were supposed to be sent? On the one hand I feel that musicians should advocate for respect and festivals/jobs should feel the pressure to keep their word. On the other hand, I feel like it’s usually not in the admin’s power to make decisions faster, and I don’t want to bother them over something they can’t control. I also don’t want to risk losing opportunities I might otherwise get by being too pushy and pissing people off. Is my last concern something to worry about?
Is it okay for festivals and programs to continually miss their deadlines and keep applicants waiting in the dark? No.
Is it useful in any way to “hound administrators for updates” for days and weeks? Also no.
You are right when you say it’s not in an admin’s power to send out the decisions any faster. When you apply to a job or a festival or any other opportunity, you are at the mercy of that organization’s process. Whether you decide to apply again in the future, based on your past experience, is totally your choice.